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ICBC is changing laws and not making those changes public. In this way, ICBC has been able
to force people to be re-tested, write re-examinations and pay hefty fees, for 'non-compliance' with
a changed law that the public could not possibly have known of. (See article ICBC, BC's Sponsorship Scandal?)
Below is one person's ordeal.
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Case In Point |
It was not long ago that Laurie* went to renew her expired B.C. Driver's License. She was two months
early**.
When Laurie arrived to renew her
driver's licence, she was told that her license would not
be renewed because there had been a legislative renewal policy
change from five years to three. She was told to pay $125 and to go back to the 'beginner's line' for driver testing and related
examinations. She would need a Learner's permit to legally drive which there would
be an additional charge for. Surprised, Laurie asked if letters had been sent out - the reply
was "yes". When she requested
a copy of hers, ICBC was not able to produce any letter. ICBC then told Laurie that "It was all over the media"
although no media source or announcement date could be identified by ICBC.
Laurie tried to explain that she has a 19½ year safe driving record here in Vancouver, BC. She had been
sent a letter from ICBC some years prior, congratulating her on her 'excellent' driving
record. In the letter, ICBC also offered to pay for an accident should she ever have one.
Laurie's first driver's license had been issued at the Motor Vehicle
Branch in the Vancouver area. She has lived and continues to live in Vancouver since childhood. ICBC stuck
to their position: If Laurie wanted her license renewed, she would have to pay, be re-tested and write the
related examinations - just as someone who had never held a BC Driver's license.
According to Steve Heather, Manager of the Fair Practices Review Department, ICBC,
"ICBC did not issue any public notices
concerning this policy change"
And
"There was no letter sent to you advising you of
the change of policy"
This confirmed that the change had not been made public so Laurie and others like her had no way of knowing that the
law (policy) had changed. Yet these people were being asked to pay hefty fees and take road tests and related
examinations because of ICBC's wrongdoing.
Despite the confirmation above from ICBC, Lisa Lott, Manager of Licensing and Adjudication,
sent a letter to Laurie in which she stated that Laurie must:
"complete a re-examination ...This exam consists of a vision screening, road signs and
road test."
Furthermore:
" In order
to practice driving, you will need to obtain a learner's license [...] and have a supervisor with you at all times. "
Ms. Lott concluded her letter with:
" [...] please drive safely. "
Not once did Ms. Lott allude to any wrongdoing by ICBC.
(Editor's note: Recently Minister Coleman announced that the
learner's licensing period be increased from six months to one year and the
novice licence raised from 18 months to two years).
Laurie had broken no law. She had had no car accidents. No drunk driving. No driving suspensions. Ever.
On the contrary, she obtained her first and only Driver's license over twenty
years ago in a Vancouver Motor Vehicle Branch office. She has consecutively owned, insured and driven
a car for 19½ years in Vancouver. She has had no drunk driving, drivers
suspensions, unlawful driving conduct or accidents in those years or since. Ever.
She is a law-abiding person with no criminal record.
ICBC changed the law in 1999, kept the change from the public, and as Laurie would later find out, ICBC was
fully aware at the time that a minimum of 38,000 people would be affected annually.
It is interesting to note that
had ICBC made the policy change public, Laurie would have been able to renew according to the new policy/law.
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Visit Vancouver's Site Poll |
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Does ICBC have a responsibility to make public any law, legislation or policy
which will affect the BC public?
Is it fair and ethical to ask that
we, the people of British Columbia, abide by ICBC rules, yet the policy
makers can choose not to make those public?
Our site poll asks the question of site visitors "Does ICBC have the right to force compliance
with unannounced laws/policies?"
5% say yes.
3% sometimes.
49% say no.
44% say never.
93% agree that ICBC does not have the right
to
force compliance with unannounced laws/policies.
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JOIN US |
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ICBC, as a public, governmental, crown corporation, must be responsible to the public.
Keeping changes in law from the Public and then going after
British Columbians for non-compliance is extortion, unjust, blackmail and wrong.
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Together
we stand |
ICBC is
banking on people's unwillingness to respond.
Join us - over 3 million British Columbians pay for
ICBC's services and 3 million people are a force to reckon with. Together we can insist on compliance from ICBC and the
provincial government. We demand an investigation into these corrupt ICBC practices on the unsuspecting public.
JOIN US:
We can stop the dangerous precedent that ICBC has now set for changing laws
and not making a changed law or policy public - then
accusing the public of non-compliance and soliciting hefty payments and unnecessary driver and related examinations re-testing.
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 Email our
 which
requests an inquiry and that laws must be made public.
New! Sign our petition
Write to the Premier, ICBC Chairman Geer and the Solicitor General.
more contact info
What is your MLA doing to address ICBC's misconduct?
Contact your MLA
and request immediate action and
too.
Spread the word to friends, family, associates
ICBC is banking on that
the public wont respond.
Other ways you can
join us
.
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4. Come Forward
ICBC lied to people who didn't know about the three year renewal policy change by telling
them that letters were sent out and the change was posted in the media. In this way, ICBC has been
able to get compliance from those people. Were you one of those people who was lied to?
Please contact us. |
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What you can do to
put pressure on ICBC:
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Spread the word !!!
Email your friends this
page info. Telling other
people what's happening is
very effective. |
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Other ways to help |
Phone
Premier Campbell
(250) 387-1715*
(*a free phone call
via
BC Enquiry
at
604-660-2421)
Minister Rich Coleman:
tel 604-607-6200/
fax 604-607-6205
ICBC Fairness Commissioner,
Hon. Bryan Williams
tel 604-643-1213
fax 604-643-1200
Send an email to:
or email
our
letter
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* Laurie is a fictitious name for a real person whose appeal
is being evaluated. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer, "Laurie".
Visit Beautiful Vancouver Online or any of its associates does not endorse or discredit the Case In Point.
** Before Laurie's license expired, she had spoken with an ICBC customer representative who
informed her that there was "no urgency" to renew, since people had five years. This had been the law, according to
an ICBC policy maker, for "over twenty years".
Other articles:
·
ICBC, BC's Sponsorship Scandal?
·
What does the Premier know?
·
Minister Coleman,
(responsible for ICBC
portfolio),
Questions to the
Minister
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MLA/Minister of Finance, Gary Collins
'mums the word'
·
Attorney General's Executive Assistant,
Jason Kuzinski,
"Breach of privacy?"
·
ICBC Fairness Review process, "
Is it really fair?"
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